My Thoughts on the Inner Development Goals Course (Courage and Optimism; pt. 1)

Courage and optimism are two qualities that have deeply shape how I am viewed in the world. Optimism was fine depending on the situation, but that depended on my courage in that moment. Courage wasn’t always easy for me. Since I was young, it was hard for me to talk to others. But over time, both attributes became essential parts of my foundation.

They keep moving forward even when I'm not sure what my next steps should be.

In my earlier years, I often avoided discomfort. Since I was in first grade, I practically didn't talk to anyone outside my immediate family. I feared saying something wrong to the point talking didn't seem necessary for me.

Eventually, I reached a point where I could tell where this was heading. I recognized that the patterns I had gotten used to were going to disadvantage me in the long-term.

I began to choose courage on purpose, even when it felt uncomfortable. I began just deciding to forget any bad outcomes that could've occurred, "just zone out and do it!" Even when it meant making the "why did I do that?" kind of memories, courage helped me take action.

The regret of what I did felt better than the regret of not doing anything at all.

Since I was young, I had to lean into optimism, mostly due to my circumstances at the time. It was difficult going as it was mostly blind positivity and empty words to get people's minds off bad things. I knew I had to create a conscious belief that a better life was possible.

The growth path says courage and optimism give us the power to influence and persevere. And this is true. Life doesn’t always go as planned. There's a lot of confusion in life that I didn't know how to deal with. In those uncertain moments, it’s been courage that helped me take another step in a direction I didn't even know was right. It was optimism that reminded me the future could be better than the past.

There were a few key things that helped me grow into courage and optimism:

1. I made a decision to stop letting fear make my choices. I reminded myself that discomfort wasn’t danger. My father would always say we need to do hard things in life, so I followed! I mindlessly did what I had to.

2. I looked at people who were doing it right. Even just faking it 'til you make it, copying what others do, can be a form of guidance. It can help you grow and incorporate it into your personality.

3. I purposefully put myself in uncomfortable situations. I signed up for a class that I knew was mostly teamwork. The exposure forced me to talk to others, and helped me build something I often quote now: "What must be done shall be done, no matter what I have to do!"

Over time, these efforts built something solid within me.

Today, courage and optimism are habits now.

They shape how I lead and handle uncertainty.

They’ve become two forces in my life, helping me grow.

What qualities not mentioned in the IDG Course form the foundation of your growth?